Lieberson delivers fervent Schumann

Allan Ulrich, Chronicle Music Critic

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, May 1, 2001

Although the baroque and contemporary repertoires have vouchsafed her reputation, it was, in the end, a Romantic masterwork, Robert Schumann's "Frauenliebe und Leben," that confirmed mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's consummate artistry during Sunday afternoon's recital at the University of California's Zellerbach Hall.

If ever a musician virtually disappeared into a score, this was the occasion. Eyes closed, her body a pillar of pained remembrance, the singer probed "A Woman's Love and Life" with an anguished intensity and a bare wisp of tone that added up to one of the more harrowing experiences on any concertgoer's short list of great moments.

Nothing extraneous besmirched Lieberson's traversal of these eight songs, and nobody, apparently, told her that most Germans do not consider Adalbert Von Chamisso's verse a landmark of their literary heritage. Where lesser singers have descended to girlish, even soubrettish extravagance as they recalled their happy marriage and its tragic conclusion, the grief here was too great, too oppressive to vanquish. The narrator's sorrow was simply overwhelming, submerging even joyous memories in a sea of despair.

You might not want to hear "Frauenliebe und Leben" like this every day, or even every year, especially if the cycle's psychological implications strike you as Romantic posturing. But Lieberson's musicianship has never been predicated on conventional responses; in adopting a persona and exploring its ramifications, she transcended the world of the merely pathetic and entered the realm of the tragic. The narrator tells us that "wherever I look, Him only I see," and Lieberson's searing interpretation took the poet at his word.

The Schumann cycle, which came last on the Cal Performances program, succeeded two Handel arias and works by the singer's husband, Peter Lieberson. Judith Gordon was the pianist, inconsistent in her accompaniments to the Handel (which sounded like sight readings), but increasingly assured and eminently empathetic as the afternoon went on.

Latest entertainment videos

Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman discuss being the only white actors in the large main ensemble cast of 'Black Panther'Associated Press

Julianne Hough Just Kissed Her Blonde Hair GoodbyeInStyle

'On the Come Up' Angie Thomas Unveils the Striking Cover For Her Next BookEntertainment Weekly

Guy Performs Impressive BMX Trick on RampJukin Media

8 Awesome TV Shows That Won't Return Until 2019Wibbitz

'Black Panther' stars' 'kindred' friendshipAssociated Press

Amy Schumer Just Got Married!Wibbitz

Jennifer Aniston And Justin Theroux Are Splitting Up After Two Years Of Marriage And More NewsMarieClaire

Occasionally in the Schumann, one might have wished for a bit more extroversion, especially in the bridal jubilation of "Helft mir, ihr Schwestern." Yet, the muted dynamic framework throughout and Lieberson's subtle deployment of color -- the final moments were an unremitting gray, as the singer's voice trailed off into infinity -- conferred rare eloquence on the performance.

Lieberson's three "Rilke Songs" -- there will be two more in the sequence --

were written for the singer between 1997 and this year. "O ihr Zartlichen" (O you tender ones), "Atmen, du unsichtbares Gedicht!" (Breathing: you invisible poem!) and "Stiller Freund" (Silent Friend) trade in misty harmonies, discreet accompaniments and a supple line that deftly captures the compressed diction of the German verse. They are treasurable additions to the contemporary song literature. Torn from context, Triraksha's aria from "Ashoka's Dream," which this singer premiered at the Santa Fe Opera in 1997, made less impact.

"Qual Leon" from Handel's "Arianna" and "Vieni o figlio" ("Ottone") -- the first a belligerent, bravura episode, the second a lament -- found Lieberson at her most stylish, juxtaposing brooding chest tones and triumphant ascents above the staff. The smooth phrasing and canny ornamentation reaffirmed the mezzo's Handelian credentials.

The encores were "As with rosy steps the morn" from Handel's "Theodora" and "Deep River" in H.T. Burleigh's arrangement. Here, too, simplicity was its own exceptional reward.